Charles Leclerc topped the second practice session at the returning Malaysian Grand Prix, putting Ferrari at the front of a closely fought FP2 at Sepang International Circuit.

Leclerc set a 1:37.528 to finish just 0.099 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, while Lando Norris was another 0.038 seconds behind in third. Max Verstappen, who topped FP1 earlier in the day, finished fourth, 0.257 seconds off Leclerc’s pace.

Lewis Hamilton completed the top five for Ferrari, with Oscar Piastri sixth and George Russell seventh. Kimi Antonelli finished eighth after having a fast lap deleted for exceeding track limits, followed by Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly in the top ten.

The session began under the threat of rain, with dark clouds hanging over Sepang and a high chance of showers. Most drivers headed onto the circuit immediately, with the majority using medium tyres while several teams opted for the soft compound in an attempt to complete their fast runs before conditions changed.

Verstappen initially continued where he left off in FP1, setting the early benchmark with a 1:37.785. The Red Bull driver stayed competitive throughout the session but never switched to the soft tyres, leaving his fourth place particularly encouraging given the tyre difference.

Hadjar once again impressed for Red Bull. After finishing third in FP1, the young driver went even closer to the top in FP2 and ended the session just under a tenth of a second behind Leclerc.

Norris also showed strong pace for McLaren, finishing third despite the uncertain conditions. Piastri was sixth, giving McLaren both cars inside the top seven.

There was a tense moment between Lewis Hamilton and Gabriel Bortoleto when the Audi driver had to take avoiding action after encountering the Ferrari on the racing line. The incident was noted by the stewards, with Hamilton saying he could not see through his right mirror.

Bortoleto later suffered another problem when he came to a halt with only two minutes remaining. His stranded Audi brought out yellow flags and triggered a Virtual Safety Car, ending the session under caution.

The first day of running in Malaysia has therefore produced an intriguing picture. Verstappen remains a major threat despite not using the soft tyres in FP2, while Ferrari has shown strong one lap pace and Hadjar continues to make his presence felt at the front.

Leclerc heads into Saturday with the fastest time of the day, but with the leading drivers separated by only a few tenths, the battle for pole at Sepang remains wide open.